Inboard Engine Parts

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Comment

There are no "engine terminology police". 4-stroke and 4-cycle can and have been used interchangably for ages, as have 2-stroke and 2-cycle. And not all four-strokes require FC-W oil. My Suzuki recommends conventional 10W-40 oil that meets current API specifications. If you buy Suzuki branded oil, it is marked FC-W however.

Comment

Thanks for your response. That's the answer I was expecting. But I still don't understand why Quicksilver would market both? One bottle labeled 4 stroke and the other labeled 4 cycle both intended for outboard motor use.

Comment

As was pointed out, one may be a synthetic or a synthetic blend and the other is conventional oil. Both can be used if they are branded FC-W. As for the "cycle/stroke" thing -- it is meaningless and simply infers that the dude/duddette that designed the label was not paying attention to the what the other label indicated. No big deal. Different strokes for different folks.

Formulated specially for 4 stroke outboards. Outboards typically operate at 5000-6000 RPM at wide open throttle, almost twice as fast as 4 stroke automobile engines. Normal automotive lubricants are not formulated to handle thse speeds. Quicksilver 4 stroke outboard oil contains special additives making it ideally suited for this application. They help reduce wear, scuffing and scoring, prevent the formulation of rust and sludge and inhibit the formulation of unwanted damaging foam

1987 Boston Whaler "Outrageous 18"
1989 Johnson 120 V4 VRO

Comment

So the Gents question (Why do they make both?) is still not answered. Since most four strokes at WOT run at 5000 - 6000 RPM, why would you market an oil that doesn't work well at those RPM -- which is what this advertising would imply!!!

Comment

So the Gents question (Why do they make both?) is still not answered. Since most four strokes at WOT run at 5000 - 6000 RPM, why would you market an oil that doesn't work well at those RPM -- which is what this advertising would imply!!!

The short answer - MARKETING. If we were to have the oils analyzed, I suspect we would find that they are identical. The only difference is probably in the labelling. Why does Mobil 1 market a 5W-30 MOBIL-1 Full Synthetic AND a 5w-30 MOBILE-1 Full Synthetic SUV oil? Does an SUV need different oil than a pickup truck? Of course not. It is just marketing. Buy a good quality oil that has the correct viscosity and API rating and ignore the rest of the Marketing Hype on the label. You can put any label you want on a bottle of oil. Do you really think that Mercury, or Yamaha or any other engine manufactrurer makes their own oil? They buy oil that meets their specifications form an oil company and put their label on it. My 2 cents and probably worth exactly what you paid for it.

Comment

So the Gents question (Why do they make both?) is still not answered. Since most four strokes at WOT run at 5000 - 6000 RPM, why would you market an oil that doesn't work well at those RPM -- which is what this advertising would imply!!!

OK. it is marketing. The logic for saying this engine oil is use for WOT throttle, while this oil is designed for operating at 2-3000 rpm has been used for years. Castrol Motor Oil used that to sell their oil by saying "our oil is designed to handles today's new high out put engines"....)not exactly what they said, but close).

The question becomes, and an effective question, knowing this information do you buy an oil designed for grandma's 4 stroke engine or do you buy the one designed to operation in the environment of a wake board boat where you are looking good and wearing your aviator glasses.

1987 Boston Whaler "Outrageous 18"
1989 Johnson 120 V4 VRO

Comment

Honda has been in the 4 stroke engines longer than most other makers and they still to this day recommend auto oil for all thier engines. Do you think Honda makes their own oil?, I dont think so, ay more than Mercury makes their own branded oil. I don't think I have ever 25-40 oil except maybe in Diesel oil, then again I have never looked for it, much less use it.